Generalization of the stress tensor to nonuniform fluids and solids and its relation to Saint-Venant’s strain compatibility conditions
- 1 October 1990
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 65 (14) , 1781-1783
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.65.1781
Abstract
Combining some results from the classical theory of elasticity with the modern functional derivative approach to nonuniform systems, we obtain a well-defined stress tensor for nonuniform equilibrium fluids and solids. This stress tensor is symmetric and satisfies the force-balance equation, so it provides an unambiguous route to quantities such as the surface free energy. The ambiguities associated with earlier stress-tensor definitions are traced back to their failure to take account of Saint-Venant’s strain compatibility conditions.Keywords
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